This is a cannula ("can NUH lah"). When the prongs on the cannula are placed in the nostrils of a person like me, who is short of breath because of a chronic lung disease, it delivers supplemental oxygen.
I went on oxygen at the end of March. There's a lot of learn. The most important is: "Don't trip over the green-tinted fifty-foot tubing," which connects the cannula to the oxygen concentrator. Alas, once a klutz, always a klutz. The second most important: you must clean the cannula once a week and replace it when necessary.
Only one had been delivered. I needed a spare for when the old one was drying after cleaning. I called the supplier.
"What size do you need?"
"Gee, I don't know. How many sizes are there?"
"Two. Size 14 and Size 17."
"I don't know what size I have."
"OK, I'll send you one of each and you can decide which one you prefer."
UPS delivered the cannulae the next day. I carefully measured the distance between the prongs with a ruler, using both the edge with the inches and the one with centimeters. Many times, from different angles. The distances always looked the same! I laid a new cannula on top of the old one. They looked like twins. How could that be? I tried measuring again. I was about to ask the resident mathematician for help, but decided to consult the Internet first.
Silly me! I learned that the cannula tube that connects to the green oxygen-supply tube is either 4 or 7 feet long. The 4-foot tube is for children; the 7-foot, adults. I looked at the packages. Sure enough, one was labeled 1600-4 and the other, 1600-7.
I don't know how the person on the phone came up with 14 and 17. Maybe that "1" was really an "l" (el), meaning "length?"
My hubbys sister had the long tubing for home use, and lived for many years with that long tube. She had a small one for use when going out. She said she had trouble dragging the cord of the vacumn and the canula. I said why are you vacing?
ReplyDeleteFor some reason this post did not appear in my feedly list yet, I came to see when I saw your comment today... It will proabaly show up later. You are not polluting the earth with your cunnual... that is life saving unlike balloons
A cannoli would be a lot more fun (and delicious) than a cannula, that's for sure! I'm glad you're getting supplemental oxygen though -- that's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteGrrrrr. How to make something easy into something difficult.
ReplyDeleteI bet there are a lot of people who wouldn't know they size. Maybe they should include that information when they first give you the oxygen.
ReplyDeleteI would be the person tripping over that tubing.
If one is for children and the other is not, you'd think those would be labelled as such. But no, that would make too much sense. It sounds like the person you ordered from had no idea what they were selling.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't the person ask, child or adult? When my mother in law was put on oxygen, we were some of her caregivers and I don't ever remember being given a choice. We just got supplies.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the one you ended up with was the right one and I guess you know more next time when you need it replaced.
ReplyDeleteI hope the oxygen is helping!!! Do you use tanks or a concentrator?
ReplyDeletePipeTobacco
Ha, I bet your theory about L v 1 is probably right. Hope the oxygen is helping. Thinking of you as always!
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad that you’re blogging again!
ReplyDeleteJust checking in .... you good?
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